Pick Me Up
by Sa'charinel
Summary: Jane goes to the airport to pick Maura up.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I own nothing. Huge thank you for my beta Rae D. Magdon!

Rizzoli & Isles - Pick Me Up

Detective Jane Rizzoli was leaning her lean frame on the steel railing, radiating pride and confidence. If that didn't make people think twice whether to bother or not, a glimpse of her gun and badge fastened on her hip did it for them. Jane looked calm and careless standing there, her leather jacket slightly open and her hands shoved into her pockets.

Checking her watch for the tenth time, she tried to spot a familiar face in the crowd. 'She should be here any minute now,' Jane thought. Though it had only been a week since she had driven Maura to the airport, she was anxious to see her friend again. The detective had been glad when Maura had asked her for a ride to the airport, but was also well aware of the fact that her friend didn't necessarily need it. She could have hired a limousine or a helicopter ride without making a notch in her bank account.

They hadn't agreed on the detective coming to pick her up, but Jane had felt like it would be ok, maybe even expected. She couldn't understand why she was feeling little bit nervous. She only knew she had been missing Maura like crazy, and wanted to be there when her plane landed.

The thought of seeing Maura soon made Jane smile. She really looked forward to spending time with her beautiful colleague. Doctor Maura Isles had come to work as a Medical Examiner for the Boston Police District just couple of moths ago. During that time, she had managed to leave an inerasable mark on Jane and the rest of the Homicide Squad. When they had met for the first time, they hit it off immediately. Working side by side had been effortless from the first case they worked together because they were so at ease with each other. Their friendship had developed and soon they were spending all their free time together.

In some aspects, she and the doctor were polar opposites. Their upbringings, for example; Maura had studied at fancy French boarding schools while Jane had gone to public school in the Boston suburbs and worked for her father's plumbing company. Maura's manners and clothing were impeccable. She always sported expensive high heels and designer clothes, not to mention purses. Jane could imagine Maura walking from the plane wearing a very sexy but very unpractical dress, trying to smooth wrinkles from it with a cute frown on her face. 'Wrinkles cause the whole ensemble lose its purpose,' Jane remembered, and chuckled herself. She glanced down at her own clothing, old jeans and white tee shirt, and shook her head. She knew Maura would comment on them, probably sooner than later. Dressing fancy wasn't for Jane, and she would never pay as much for clothes as Maura did. Still, lately she had found herself wearing fancier and more expensive clothes, without a clue how she ended up owning them. Maura was very determined when she wanted something, and knew how to get it. She let nothing distract her from reaching her goal, and that's why she was sometimes described as socially awkward or weird, but Jane found her quirks intriguing. She knew that she wasn't perfect either, and had her share of undesirable qualities in her personality.

Jane squinted to see more clearly through the crowd. She had been staring at the double doors like a hawk for the past half an hour. Her waiting was over when she spotted blonde, flawlessly styled hair accompanied by the familiar clicking of the heels. When the crowd cleared, unblocking the view, her breath got caught up in her throat. She swore Maura was looking more beautiful than ever. Maura wore impossibly tight white jeans and a light orange sleeveless shirt with a plunging neckline, accessorised with heels and a yellow lily tucked behind her ear. She looked absolutely stunning.

Jane felt a wide grin spreading on her face when she stared at her friend. It seemed that Maura hadn't noticed Jane yet and kept on walking. When she passed the spot Jane casually stood, Jane caught up with her in a couple of long strides.

"Need a hand, gorgeous?" Jane whispered into the doctor's ear.

Maura turned around to see Jane grinning at her. Jane was looking ridiculously good in her faded jeans and leather jacket, wearing the widest smile Maura had ever seen. Maura dropped the bag she had been pulling behind her.

"Jane!" she squealed, "Jane, what are you doing here?" Maura threw her arms around the taller woman's neck and pulled her friend into a lung-crushing hug. Jane pulled the blonde even closer.

"I take it you're happy to see me, then?" Jane laughed. Maura buried her head in the crook of Jane's neck.

"Hmm, yes. I missed you," she said quietly, then pulled back a little to look into the brunette's eyes.

"You know you didn't have to come to pick me up?" Maura continued, her tone little bit worried.

"Yes, well, I really wanted to. So deal with it."

"I'm glad you did," Maura replied softly, still wrapped in Jane's arms. For a couple of seconds, they just stood there holding each other. Jane blinked and loosened her grip on Maura, realizing that lingering this long wasn't an appropriate way to greet a friend.

"Let me take your stuff," Jane offered after clearing her throat. She lowered her arms, running them down Maura's sides before removing them completely. She threw one bag over her shoulder and grabbed the other with her right hand. Maura smiled at her friend's chivalrous gesture. It was nothing new, she had already grown accustomed to Jane's good manners, but she still liked all the little things Jane did for her, and only for her.

"Jesus, woman, how much stuff did you take with you?" Jane asked teasingly. "Did you pack Bass, also? It feels like I'm carrying rocks."

"You know very well I like to have clothes for every possible occasion. Besides, a little exercise is good for you. I bet you haven't eaten anything other than pizza while I was away."

"Oh yes, I do know, and for every impossible occasion too…" Jane smirked and continued. "Now, let's try to navigate through to my car before I get distracted by a pizza slice."

She placed her free hand on the small of Maura's back, guiding her forward.

They continued to push through the crowd, both of them secretly enjoying the feeling of having the other so close. When they reached the parking lot, neither of them moved away, though no guiding was needed. Only when Jane needed her keys from her pocket did she break the contact. She loaded the luggage into her trunk and walked around the car where Maura was loosening the straps of her shoes.

"These shoes are killing me," she whined.

Jane lost the hold on her keys when she saw Maura. She couldn't think of a proper answer. Her eyes were transfixed on her colleague's very well shaped ass. Maura heard the clink of keys hitting the ground, stood up, and spun around just to lose her balance with only one shoe on. Jane got her ability to function back and caught her falling friend with her work-honed reflexes.

A heartbeat. Another beat. They stared each other. Third beat. Neither of them even blinked. Fourth heartbeat. Jane licked her lips involuntarily. By fifth beat the detective was ready to throw all caution in the wind, but at the sixth heartbeat she pulled herself together and lowered Maura back to her feet. She reached behind the shorter woman to open the door for her. Her body came in full contact with Maura's and caused the doctor in turn to be bewildered by her feelings and thoughts about the tall detective pressed tightly against her.

"Milady" Jane joked moving away while pulling the door. "I always said you were going to kill yourself with those things you call shoes." She guided the still flabbergasted Maura inside the car.

"Umm…" Maura couldn't remember last time she had stuttered and was thankful for Jane doing the talking.

"Though after spending time with you, I've realized they can look pretty fucking good on some people," Jane said with a wink as she was closing the door.

Maura's automatic responses kicked in.

"Language, Jane," she scolded.

Jane hopped in and started the car. She fastened the seat belt and threw one quick, unnecessary glance to her right to check Maura's belt. Then she started towards the exit. While waiting at the traffic lights, she nodded her head to the music. It was the CD she had burnt to keep in her car for Maura. Their taste in music was one more thing that could be added to the list of complete opposites.

Maura smiled to herself when she realized it was her music and not Jane's that was flowing softly from the speakers. She loved how thoughtful Jane was. She constantly did things in order to make Maura feel good. The perceptive doctor knew some of those things were to make her feel more comfortable, which made Jane feel more comfortable. But still, all of those things existed just because Jane genuinely cared for her.

During her time away, she had missed Jane immensely, more so every time someone had opened the door for her or tried to make her laugh. She had felt so alone and had considered calling Jane, especially when she watched movies at night in her hotel room, but decided against it due to the late hour.

Maura turned her head to watch Jane, who was trying to keep her temper at bay. She was a very impatient driver, and Maura could see the hotheaded detective was trying to behave because of her. Right now, Maura observed, she was frustrated. There was a little frown on Jane's face. They were driving slower than the speed limit allowed due to a van that was blocking their way. Maura wanted to reach and smooth the wrinkles off Jane's face, but thought it would be highly inappropriate and compromised, continuing to watch her friend drive.

"What? Why are you staring at me?" Jane asked, glancing to Maura and then back to the road.

"I just realized how nice it is to be home again," Maura said softly, a little embarrassed that she had been caught staring. Jane looked at Maura sceptically, then turned her gaze forwards.

"You know, I missed you, too," Jane confessed after a while. She placed her hand on Maura's knee, on top of the doctor's manicured hand. The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence with their hands laced together.

~ x ~

"Home, sweet home," Jane exclaimed as she pulled the car to Maura's front yard. When she got no immediate answer, she glanced down at Maura, who had nodded off and was leaning her head to the window. Jane smiled at the sleeping Maura, who was still holding her hand tightly.

"Wake up, sleepy head." Jane tucked a strand of hair behind Maura's ear and caressed her cheek while drawing her hand back. "We're home, Maura, time to wake up." Maura's eyes opened and for a while she had confused look on her face. She looked around her and noticed the familiar surroundings.

"I must have fallen asleep. Sorry, that wasn't my intention," she apologized. "You should have woken me up."

"I didn't even notice you were sleeping before I stopped the car. You don't snore," Jane joked. "But you do drool a bit…" Maura looked appalled. She lifted her hand to the corner of her mouth.

"I do not drool, it is absurd to even…" Maura turned to look Jane, and noticed a gleam in her eyes. "That is not funny, Rizzoli!" She tried to be convincing as she scolded her friend, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Right, you're right, Isles. As for an apology, I'm going to volunteer to carry your stuff for you."

"Now, what kind of apology is that, when it's you who would have been doing all the carrying anyway?" The doctor questioned with a raised eyebrow and stepped out of the car. She moved to open the front door and walked in. Right before Jane lost sight of her, she heard: " And those bags better be here before I come back."

Jane shook her head, smiling, and went to pick up the bags from the trunk.

"The things I do for her…" She muttered to herself. "Or maybe the things I let her do to me."

Jane carried all the bags inside Maura's apartment and kicked the door shut.

"Stop kicking the door, Jane!" Maura yelled from her bedroom.

"Right, sorry, won't happen again," Jane shouted back. "How the hell did she know what I was doing?" she asked Bass, who had just made his way to the kitchen.

The first time Jane had seen Bass, she hadn't realized it was alive, but now she was beginning to warm up to Maura's pet tortoise. Jane snatched a beer from the fridge and a strawberry for Bass before making her way to the living room and setting the bags down on the couch. She opened the beer and popped her feet up on the coffee table. With a sigh, she tossed the cork in the direction of the trash bin in the kitchen, eyeing the bags next to her suspiciously.

"Jane, how many times do I have to tell you to not use my coffee table or Bass as a footrest?" Maura walked in and shoved Jane's shoes off of the table. She looked at the mountain of bags on her couch and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Before you say anything, sit down and chill for a while," Jane suggested and pulled her friend next to her. Maura sat down, making a face, and Jane offered her beer bottle to the pouting doctor.

"Seriously, what did you have in those bags? They weighed a ton. You didn't actually bring any stones, did ya?" Jane grinned.

"Unfortunately, I did not have time to go to the Mineral Museum."

"Wait, no, really? You were considering bringing rocks overseas?" Jane laughed hysterically. "You know, saddest thing is that I'm not even surprised. You are unique." Jane patted Maura's knee affectionately.

"It is very interesting. Did you know they have several thousand objects on display? And all of them are collected from many different countries. They have dinosaur eggs, fossils, seashells and corals to study. All of them are different kind of minerals. Stone is just a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals…"

"Ok, Google mouth, I give up. Stones are important and fascinating but that's not what you made me drag, right?"

Maura stood up, opened her suitcase and dug in for a while. Her face lit up, when she found what she was looking for and she pulled her hand up triumphantly. She had bottle of Finlandia Vodka in her hand.

"I thought maybe you'd like to taste some of this tonight with some dinner and a movie thrown in?" Maura asked, smiling. "And this is not the only bottle." Jane burst in laughter as she reached for the bottle.

"I like the way you think, Doctor. And you bet your ass I would. After being bossed around, it's nice to get something out of it." Jane sighed, leaning deeper into the couch. She watched her friend close the suitcase with an evil smirk on her face.

"Don't get too comfortable, those bags still need to be taken to my bedroom." She blew Jane a kiss, winked and walked to kitchen to order Chinese from their favourite restaurant.

~ x ~

A couple of hours later, slight snoring could be heard from Maura's living room. Jane was lying on the couch with her head on her friend's lap. Maura ran her fingers slowly through Jane's hair and tried to keep her eyes open to see the ending of the movie. Take out boxes had been pushed under the table and half a bottle of Vodka stood there on the coffee table.

Maura had enjoyed the evening so much that she didn't want it to end. She felt so good cuddling on the couch with Jane, but knew she had to go to sleep in her own bed to prevent the back aches she would get from sleeping there. When she finished watching the movie, she turned the TV off and started waking up Jane by brushing her finger against her face.

"Jane, wake up for a while," she whispered to her friend's ear. "Jane, come on, let's go to bed." Jane squeezed her other eye open and mumbled something Maura couldn't understand. She then lifted her head and rolled off of the couch. Maura giggled and hauled Jane up. She held on to the taller woman and didn't really want to let go.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Maura whispered without looking Jane into her eyes. Jane glanced down at Maura and lifted her chin.

"Of course I will," Jane whispered back and ran her thumb over Maura's chin. "If you promise not to drool," she added playfully, and got smacked to her arm. Maura led Jane to her bedroom and went to the bathroom to change. Jane just shrugged her jeans off and crawled under the covers. Maura came back out of the bathroom wearing a tank top and shorts and walked around the bed. Then, she lifted the covers and slid under them right next to Jane, who was already asleep. Maura smiled. Jane looked so peaceful when she was sleeping.

"Good night, Jane," Maura whispered before turning her back to her friend and settling down on the mattress. Right when she was falling asleep, she felt Jane's hand sneak around her waist. Jane pulled her closer and spooned her. Pressing a kiss on Maura's neck, she whispered:

"It's good to have you home."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I own nothing. Huge thank you for my beta Rae D. Magdon!

Rizzoli & Isles - Pick Me Up - Chapter 2

Detective Jane Rizzoli wasn't a morning person. Usually, she lingered in bed until she only had time to run through the shower and pull on the first clothes she could find, not to mention breakfast. It was common knowledge not to talk to Detective Rizzoli before she had her morning coffee. Even then, it might be better to send someone else to do the talking for you.

Today, however, when Jane woke up, she felt happy. She felt warm and fuzzy. Then she felt alarmed for using the words warm and fuzzy in the same sentence, albeit in her mind. She opened her eyes and noticed it was dawn outside. Then, she glanced down at the still-sleeping Maura, who had turned around and now slept practically on top of Jane. Maura was using her colleague's strong shoulder as a pillow, had her arms around Jane's neck, and her legs thrown over the detective's longer ones. Jane smiled and decided she didn't mind feeling warm and fuzzy if it meant waking up like this.

She looked at Maura's alarm clock. It was 5:41 am. 'I've got 20 minutes left before the alarm goes off,' Jane thought, and snuggled closer to her sleeping partner. She was tempted to close her eyes and continue sleeping for a while, but decided to get up and make some coffee. She lay in the bed for a minute or two more and just enjoyed the feeling of having Maura so close. It was more than pleasant.

She untangled herself from Maura's arms and legs and tried to slip out from under her friend without waking her up, but Maura had a different idea, even in her sleep. She clutched at Jane's waist before she could pull her arm back. Jane had to think twice about what she wanted to do. She wanted to pull the other woman close and just hold her as long as she could, but replaced Maura's hand on her waist and snuck out of the bed. As she pulled her hand back, Maura had turned and now cuddled a pillow. The doctor looked adorable and peaceful in her sleep, so perfect Jane didn't know what to feel. She drew the covers higher on her sleeping friend's form and smoothed her hair. Then, she pulled her jeans on and left the room to search for coffee.

~ x ~

Half an hour later, Jane was carrying a tray to Maura's bedroom. She had made some coffee and decided to make breakfast for the jetlagged doctor. She had rummaged through Maura's fridge to find out there was nothing she could use. Being the detective that she was, Jane remembered that there was a little grocery store on the corner of the block. She had quickly walked to the store and bought eggs and the paper. On her way out, she had seen fresh fruit and bought some to make the breakfast healthier. Maura would appreciate that.

Jane set the tray on the bedside table and opened the long curtains covering the window. The sun was coming up. She took a cup of strong coffee and waved it under Maura's nose.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Jane said rather loudly. "Wake up to see what a beauuutiful morning it is today." Maura groaned and squinted at Jane.

"Since when have you started getting up before me?" she asked with a sleep-lowered voice and tried to sit up. Jane hopped on the bed next to her and placed a coffee in her hand, grinning at her friend.

"Since I woke up before your alarm and shut it off?" She offered. Maura quickly turned her head to see the time and gasped.

"Jane, you know I have timed my routine in the mornings and I need exactly that amount of time to get ready for work," Maura accused, trying to get out of the bed, but Jane stopped her.

"Maur, take it easy. Now you don't have to spend time making breakfast. I made some." Jane grabbed the tray and placed it on Maura's lap. "When was the last time you had time to eat breakfast in bed? And this good?" Jane wiggled her eyebrows. "Besides, you have never been late for work, I doubt you'll be late today." Maura nodded to agree with Jane's argument and looked at the tray in front of her. It was filled with plates. There were slightly burnt scrambled eggs, toast, sliced melon and a sunflower from her flowerbed on the corner. Maura's heart melted at the sight. She knew how grumpy Jane was in the mornings and that she hated to cook. Still, there she was, bringing her breakfast in bed. Maura looked up to Jane and smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Jane," The touched doctor said and tucked the flower behind her ear. It had been worth it to get up earlier, run to the store, try to make scrambled eggs and then scrape the frying pan clean just to see Maura smile like that with a flower Jane picked in her hair.

~ x ~

After Jane and Maura had finished eating, they lingered in bed reading the paper. Both read their own sections with coffee cups in their hands. All and all, it had been a very nice morning even though they still needed to go to work. Jane finished her coffee and set her mug on the table. She looked at Maura, who was still reading her section with a look of concentration on her face. She looked cute with a flower in her sleep-tousled hair, frowning at something in the paper. Jane couldn't help but hope she could cuddle with her like she did earlier. Maura caught her staring and looked at her expectantly.

"What are you thinking?"

"I like this flower better than the one you had yesterday."

"Me too, but then again, I've always loved sunflowers. Which is why I had them planted in my yard," Maura said accusingly. Jane glanced at woman with a menacing voice to see if she was serious. After contemplating that the situation wasn't serious, she knew she wasn't in trouble, but decided to take extra caution and escape.

"Oooookay," Jane said brightly, jumping up." I need to go home to shower and change."

"Oh good, I was getting worried you'd wear those to work." Jane shot her a sharp look as if to say, 'really?'

"I mean, they're nice, but a little too casual to wear at work, don't you think? And they're definitely too loose. Also, did you know there's a tear below the knee? Probably because they're faded before use, it softens the material and makes it easier to tear…" Maura looked up from the unfashionable jeans to meet Jane's gaze. The detective was staring at her with an eyebrow raised and her arms folded.

"Wow, those jeans are really…you, Jane. You look very good in them." The babbling blonde tried and grinned goofily. Jane just arched her eyebrow higher and asked:

"You're saying I'm like these jeans? Huh, doctor?"

"No. Yes. Well, I meant they fit your style, you know…"

"So I'm too casual, too loose and faded?" Maura opened her mouth to deny she said that, but wasn't fast enough. Jane was on the roll.

"And easy to break?" The detective continued.

"Gee, thanks a lot, M. From now on, I'll make breakfast for you more often." Jane turned away in attempt to open the door. Maura panicked. This was not how it was supposed to go. They were having a perfectly pleasant morning and she managed to upset Jane. After she cooked, for heaven's sake! She jumped down from the bed and grabbed Jane's shoulder. It was shaking. Did she make Jane cry?

"Jane, please, I'm so sorry. Don't go. I didn't mean to upset you, please forgive me." Maura pleaded and pulled the shoulder she was gripping in order to face Jane.

"You're so easy, Isles." Jane laughed, turning around. "You make it so easy, I just can't resist." She was awarded with a slap on her arm.

"Don't do that!" Maura chastised, poking her finger in the laughing detectives chest to punctuate her words. "It is not funny. I thought I made you cry!"

"Oh please, you were the one doing the crying."

"I was not crying. I was mildly worried, that's it," Maura defended herself. She found the situation humorous too, but tried to keep the smile off her face to make it more believable.

"Yeah? What about 'please don't go, Jane?'" Jane mimicked.

"On second thought, why don't you go?"

"Right, so now you're throwing me out. That's fair. And I made breakfast and all." Jane whined with a pout on her face. Maura took one look at her friends face and burst out laughing. She grabbed Jane's gun and badge and shoved them to their owner.

"Go home, and change those awful pants of yours," Maura ordered, tiptoeing to get closer and pecked Jane's cheek. "Thanks for breakfast." Then, she pushed Jane out of her bedroom and closed the door.

"See you at work, Doc!"

~ x ~

Maura was first to arrive at the station. She parked her car and hurried in. It was raining and she didn't want her new Louboutinies to get wet. After walking through security, she continued to the bullpen to drop off the coffee she had bought for Jane. She had stopped at their favourite coffee shop to buy two extra large coffees.

"Good morning, Doc," Korsak greeted. "How was the seminar?" Maura smiled at the older detective. She had liked the big man from the moment they were introduced. He was kind and gentle and very good at what he did. Maura knew he was experienced and one of the best there was in the field, even if he didn't look like it. He had even saved Jane on one occasion.

"Good morning, Vince. My trip was good. It was very informational, but tiring, thank you for asking. How was your week?" Maura answered politely.

"Same old, same old. Catching some bad guys, trying to keep them off the streets, trying to keep Jane from killing Frost, drinking some very bad coffee, the usual," Korsak said, watching Maura place the huge cup of delicious smelling coffee on Jane's table. "What did Jane do that I didn't to deserve that?"

"Breakfast," Maura informed him cheerfully, then turned on her heels and walked out.

~ x ~

"Hey, Frost, wait up!" Jane yelled from her car. She quickly checked her hair from the rear-view mirror and brushed some loose strands behind her ear. She got out and caught up with Frost, who had frightened look in his eyes. Barry Frost was younger of the two detectives, and although they were partners, he always felt inferior. He knew it would take some time for them to warm up to each other. Well, for Jane to warm up to him, because he was rather fond of the fiery detective. Contrary to his beliefs, Jane already liked him. He had a good sense of humor and he didn't kiss ass. That would have been enough for Jane to get along, but the "rookie" she had gotten as her partner had proven his worth on many occasions.

"Morning, Rizzoli!" Frost said, hesitating a bit. He was testing the mood of her partner. Sensing no danger, he added: "What's got you in such a good mood?" Wrong. Jane's smile turned into a frown.

"What? I need a excuse to be on good mood?" She growled. "But you're right, I actually am feeling pretty good, so if you'll drop it, I'm gonna leave kicking your ass for some other day." Frost wisely agreed and held the front door of the station open.

"I hope they have decent coffee today. My stomach can't take another day of that engine oil they're trying to make us drink," Jane thought out loud while checking her stuff through the security point. The security guard snickered at Jane's comment and got a piercing look from Jane.

"What's so funny?" She demanded to know as she grabbed her jacket, badge and gun from the table. She stormed out muttering something about 'god damned coffee machines'. Frost shot a knowing glance at the guard and smiled at the fact he wasn't the one receiving the glare.

When Jane reached her desk, she noticed the coffee and calmed down immediately. Maura was already in, and had bought coffee for her. Smiling, Jane left her jacket on the back of her chair and took a sip of her coffee.

"Aaah, that's heavenly. Thank god for Maura."

"Oh, now I get why you're in such a your good mood. Your girlfriend's back," Frost teased as he walked in.

"Me being in a good mood doesn't count out the fact I can still wipe that smug smile off of your face, Frost!"

"I don't think Maura would appreciate that, Janie. She's nice like that. And she must be rubbing off on you since you're turning nicer, too," Korsak joined the conversation.

"What are you talking about, old man?" Jane snapped.

"I think it's very nice of you to cook for your girl first thing in the morning," Korsak said innocently. "You'll make a good wife to the Doc someday." He and Frost slapped their palms together for a high five and burst into laughter. Jane rolled her eyes.

"For the last time, she's not my girlfriend. And I'd appreciate if you could keep your mouth shut when she's around." Jane stood up and fidgeted with the buttons of her sleeve. When she had gone home she had looked through the shirts hanging in her closet and had chosen a purple button up shirt to go with her black slacks and boots. She figured Maura would like it, since she was probably the one who purchased the shirt in her closet. Jane had no recollection of buying it for herself.

She buttoned the sleeves with little difficulty, feeling her temper rise as the boys pulled faces at her. Then, she tugged the hem under the waistline of her pants and grabbed her coffee.

"I'm going down to the morgue to see if the lab results for yesterday's case are done," Jane announced. "When I get back, the joke had better be over." To make her threat more effective, she slammed the door shut on the way out.

~ x ~

Maura was staring at the computer screen intently. She had been trying to figure out what the test result said. She didn't care much for wasting time because of somebody else's flaws. Why couldn't people write clearly? Was it too much to ask to use letters that everybody could understand? Why didn't they use computers? She was getting frustrated. Maura looked up from the screen when she heard someone walking in the hallway behind the door.

"Hiya, Doc! The coffee was a life saver," Jane thanked her friend as she walked in. She didn't bother to turn around and just kicked the door closed. Regretting it immediately, she lifted her hands up and grimaced. " I know, I know. Stop kicking door. Sorry." She smiled sheepishly.

"Hello, Jane. You're welcome for the coffee and yes, please stop kicking the door." Maura smiled back at Jane. "It was least I could do after the lovely breakfast you made me."

"Speaking of which, you didn't happen to mention that to Korsak, did you?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. Wasn't I supposed to?" Maura asked, her brow furrowing.

"No, no, it doesn't matter. He was just joking about it, nothing big," Jane reassured her concerned friend.

"I hope nothing bad?"

"Nothing I can't handle. And you can make it up to me by buying me lunch later today," Jane suggested, and shot Maura a megawatt smile. Maura pretended to think.

"If you'll buy me a drink after work," she traded with a sly smile.

"You got yourself a deal, Doctor Isles."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I own nothing. Huge thank you for my beta Rae D. Magdon!

Rizzoli & Isles - Pick Me Up - Chapter 3

Doctor Maura Isles gathered the files she had just printed and stuffed them in a brown folder. She got up from her chair and smoothed down her pale green dress. She took a look in the window for her reflection and was satisfied with the way she looked. The strapless dress complimented her figure well. She looked stunning. Maura smiled at her blurry reflection and turned around to leave.

"Like what you see, Doc?" Jane smirked from the doorway she was leaning on. "I sure do." Maura blushed, but quickly got her composure back.

"Actually I do, I haven't worn this dress before. It's new and I quite like it. The stitching is impeccable, the colour is exquisite, and it fits my body really well." Maura twirled around. "Don't you think?" Jane stared at her fashionable friend with her lips slightly parted and nodded.

"Yes, definitely," she said slowly. Then quickly added, "the stitching looks just swell."

"Hmph. You don't have to make fun of me for liking to dress nice even though you can't tell cashmere and silk apart," Maura said defensively after catching her colleague's sarcasm. Jane tore her eyes away from Maura's stunning figure and noticed she had managed to offend the doctor.

"No, Maura, I was serious. It definitely fits you well." Jane tried to fix the situation. "You look breathtakingly beautiful." Maura's eyes shot up to Jane's. She tried to figure out if the striking brunette was joking, but found no trace of sarcasm. She could only see dark eyes that seemed to drill into her. She blushed again and lowered her eyes. It was up to Jane again to break the heavy tension that hung between them.

"Soooo…I came to ask if you're ready to go to lunch."

"Oh, already?"

"What do you mean already? I'm starving!"

"How can you be starving? We just ate huge breakfast, and you usually drink only coffee in the mornings. Which isn't good for you, by the way. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Most of the doctors in US believe that people who eat breakfast every day are a third less likely to…"

"Oh really?" Jane cut in and stopped Maura's rambling. "Then how come a certain doctor ate my share of eggs? As a doctor, aren't you supposed to take care of people?"

"You said you ate enough!"

"Hmm, you're right. I lied. I really burnt the first batch of the eggs," Jane confessed, shrugging. "I ate some of the very well charred eggs, but it wasn't too good, so I fed rest of it to Bass.

"What? Jane, what were you thi…?" Maura stopped abruptly and shoved the grinning detective.

"Rizzoli, 2 – Isles, 0."

"A ha ha. Very funny. You're hilarious." Maura replied dryly and rolled her eyes. She grabbed the folder from the table and held it out for Jane to take.

"I was just about to walk up to bring you these lab results you asked for earlier," Maura explained.

"Thanks, I had already forgotten about them." Jane took the folder and was about to open it.

"So, you came down here just to tease me?" Maura accused. "Why don't you go up to study those files? Then I have a chance of completing some work today myself."

"You're throwing me out? Again?" Jane acted aghast. "That's twice today!"

"You're too stressful to be in the same room with when you're hungry. Go! I'll come and get you when I'm done."

"Yes, Ma'am." Jane snapped a mock salute and walked out laughing.

~ x ~

When Maura walked up to the bullpen in order to take Jane to lunch, she expected to see her favourite detective lounging around. Usually, when Jane was hungry or restless, she came down to the morgue. If Maura wasn't there, she just sat in front of her desk, feet propped on the table, and was usually involved in a heated conversation with either Korsak or Frost. She said the bickering helped her to relax and it cleared her mind.

The brunette sat in front of her desk now as well, but this time she was focused on her paperwork. She had clearly got some work done already. Stacks of files were neatly piled up on her desk, and she was furiously typing something on her computer. Jane was so focused on the reports that she didn't hear Maura come in, which was a first, since the observant detective usually recognized the sound of Maura's heels from the other end of the hallway.

Maura walked forward and when the detective still didn't notice her, she was content to watch her work for a moment. Jane stared at the computer with her brow furrowed, rolling a pencil between her fingers. 'She really frowns a lot,' Maura thought, and made a mental note to keep her friend smiling more often.

Jane replaced the pencil between her lips and proceeded to type something, only to lean back and sigh a second later. Jane threw her pencil away and stretched, causing her shirt ride up from under her belt. Maura realised that Jane had rolled up her sleeves, which she had so patiently buttoned earlier, and now struggled to keep the hem tucked into her slacks.

"You shouldn't roll your sleeves in the middle of the day. They will be wrinkled for the rest of the day," Maura advised her less stylish friend.

"Maura! When did you get here?" Jane asked, surprised.

"Just a minute ago. Let's go have some lunch, shall we?"

"Finally." Jane jumped up eagerly, knocking over her chair. After lifting the chair back up, she moved to follow Maura out of the room.

Korsak, who had made no sign of recognition when Maura walked in, lifted his head and shot a look at Frost. The younger detective had not seemed to be paying attention either, but was now looking very alert. He returned Korsak's knowing glance and coughed something that sounded suspiciously like "whipped".

"Did you say something, Frost?" Jane questioned after turning around sharply.

"Nope, nothing, Jane."

"That better be true," Jane warned and shot a glare to both of her colleagues. Maura walked back to the doorway wearing her jacket.

"Jane, are you coming?"

"Yeah, let me grab my stuff." Jane hastily pulled on her jacket and shoved her keys and phone to her pockets, hurrying towards Maura.

"I don't think I have to watch cute animal videos today," Korsak announced loudly. "Ah, puppy love." He and Frost laughed when Jane stopped, clearly pondering whether to acknowledge the stab thrown at her or not.

"You better go, Janie. Wouldn't want to make Doc mad, would you?" Korsak continued. Jane stood in the middle of the room, trying to decide what to do. She took a look at Maura, who seemed to tell her to let it go. Jane smiled at her and continued forward, placing a hand on Maura's back and guiding her out. Before closing the door, she pointed both of the men with her finger and looked at them from under her brows as if to say, 'you're on my list'.

~ x ~

After both Maura and Jane had finished working for the day, they decided to go for a drink at a small but cosy bar called MacDougal's. The weather was lovely, so Maura thought it would be nice to walk since the bar was right around the corner. They walked leisurely, enjoying each other's company in the slowly cooling night. Maura talked about the body she had finished examining today. Jane listened, but didn't try to understand too hard because she didn't know half of the words the shorter woman used. She was satisfied just listening to Maura talk with such passion. It never ceased to amaze Jane how much Maura gave for the job. Jane was extremely dedicated to her job, but Maura was even more so.

Jane spotted a familiar sign just couple of meters away and turned to look at Maura, who was still going on about the case.

"As much as I want to hear about the rest of your day, what do you say we talk about work tomorrow and concentrate on other things tonight?" Jane asked after she had shushed Maura with a finger to her lips. Maura stared at the hand on her mouth and then raised a brow at Jane, who removed the hand immediately, thinking she had stepped over the line. Little did she know that Maura secretly enjoyed the brief touches between them.

"Other things such as?" Maura asked almost too sweetly, and expectant expression on her face. Jane looked down and rubbed her palms together nervously.

"You know…other things…whatever else. We have things to talk about that aren't related to work, don't we?"

"Oh, I'm sure of it. Can't seem to think of anything right now, though. Can you name a few?" Jane was taken aback. Did her friend really think they had nothing in common besides work? She opened her mouth to argue that Maura was wrong but nothing came out. Maura thought she looked lost and took pity on her.

"It seems like I'm catching up. Isles 1 – Rizzoli minus 3." Maura giggled as she saw a wave of relief wash over the detective.

"You little minx," Jane laughed and grabbed Maura's shoulder, pulling the doctor to her chest with one arm. She squeezed the petite woman in her arms a bit. "I think we need to revise the point system on your part." Maura just grinned at her and let Jane guide her to the bar. Jane politely opened the door for the lady and they stepped in.

~ x ~

The bar was dimly lit and quite noisy. Music was flowing from strategically placed speakers, but it wasn't too loud to prevent them from chatting comfortably. The atmosphere wasn't dull either, even though there weren't too many people there. Maura and Jane noticed Frost and Korsak playing pool, and went over to greet them.

Jane took Maura's jacket and set it, and rest of their stuff, in a booth the boys had occupied earlier. She shrugged her own jacket away and threw it on top of the pile. Then, she unrolled her sleeves and noticed that they were indeed wrinkled. Maura watched from afar as the detective fumbled with her buttons once again. When she noticed that her friend was wearing a shirt she had bought, she smiled. Maura was always trying to update her friend's style, and after dragging the reluctant detective along for a shopping spree, she noticed it was easier just to buy clothes for Jane to wear herself and present them as gifts. Jane didn't like to spend time with clothing. She didn't like buying them, trying them on, caring for them, or putting them on. Maura appreciated that Jane had gone the extra mile to please her, but knew it would be the last time Jane wore a button up shirt if she didn't soon win the fight against the buttons. Maura walked up to her suffering friend, captured the nearest arm, and skilfully buttoned the cuff.

"If this is how I can get you to wear fancier outfits, Jane, I will gladly button up your clothes every morning," Maura said innocently and sighed. Jane caught the slip of the tongue that Maura was totally oblivious to. She thought briefly how nice it would be to have Maura button up her clothes every morning. A sly smile curved her lips. Jane thought it better not to mention her thoughts or the double meaning to the doctor, who was done cuffing her sleeves and was now styling her hair.

"Much better." Maura nodded as if to agree with herself. "You're very welcome."

"Thanks," Jane said, just a little bit sarcastically.

"Now, I believe you owe me a drink, Detective," Maura reminded her, and brushed Jane's arms one more time.

"I hoped you wouldn't remember, but you always do, don't ya? I'll be right back with your order, miss." Jane winked and went to inspect the good stuff on the shelves, leaving Maura to stand there and follow her friend's backside with her eyes. She looked up and down Jane's lean form. She was really gorgeous, but clueless about her own attractiveness. Maura guessed that was half of Jane's charm. The doctor continued her gazing. Her friend had really captured her eye. Jane looked so good, even taller in her boots and well fitting black slacks, shirt tucked in under her belt. Maura just couldn't look away.

The second Jane turned away, Korsak paused the game and approached Maura with a gleam in his eyes. He followed Maura's gaze and realised she was staring at their colleague. The older man chuckled to himself. His suspicions were quickly proving to be true.

"So, how does it feel to have Rizzoli wrapped around your finger?" Korsak inquired. Maura was still lost in thought, and was startled when Korsak spoke.

"Hmm, what was it that you said, Vince?"

"I asked what it feels like to have one of the toughest detectives in Boston wrapped around your finger, doctor?" Korsak repeated. Maura looked up to him with a confused expression on her face, then down at her hands, seeming to study her fingers.

"You're not causing any grief to the good doctor here, are you, Korsak?" Jane interrupted and handed Maura a small glass. Korsak quickly backed away and went to continue his game, moving his pinkie finger in spinning motion towards Maura. Jane didn't see the gesture, and after catching the meaning of Korsak's idiom, Maura thought it wouldn't do any good to repeat it. Instead, she shifted her focus to the tiny glass in her hand, smelling the liquid inside.

"Jane, if you didn't have enough money to buy us decent drinks, you should have let me buy them." Jane's eyebrows shot up. There was something she knew that the well-educated doctor didn't.

"Maura, it's Tequila," she explained. "The drink's supposed to be small. It's hard liquor, it's almost ten times stronger than beer." Jane put her glass down and set slices of lime and a bottle of salt next to it. Maura watched her curiously.

"There's a certain etiquette when drinking this stuff. Usually they offer lemon with tequila, but I asked for lime, it tastes so much better. Now, do what I do." Jane wet the crook between her thumb and index finger with the fruit she had picked up. Then she shook some salt on top of it and picked up her shot. Maura's eyes followed her every move and she copied her friend's actions.

"Lick the salt first, shoot your drink, and then eat the lime. Cheers!" Jane instructed and knocked back her drink. She closed her eyes and relished the taste of the combination.

"Damn, that's good!" she exclaimed. The doctor was still standing there wide-eyed, her drink still in her hand. She had every intention of following Jane and completing the learning experience, but when she had seen Jane's lips closing over salted skin and suckling on it, her determination had wavered. She had never seen such a sensual way of drinking. That was before Jane had put the sliced citrus in her mouth and closed her eyes, humming a bit at the effect. Tequila was quickly climbing towards first place on the list of Maura's favourite drinks.

The doctor did not want to do any worse, and decided to make sure Jane saw what she had seen just a moment ago. Maura's tongue darted out to taste the salt, soon to be followed by her lips. She glanced at Jane to make sure the detective was watching. Then, without blinking or breathing, Maura nipped her own skin slightly and downed the drink, coughing a little because of the burning effect on her throat. She raised the lime to her lips and sucked on it greedily. Maura decided she liked the taste. The combination of the flavours really was exquisite.

To Jane, the combination of Maura licking salt and Maura sucking a slice of lime to her mouth was exquisite. She had a blank stare on her face, similar what she had just observed on her friends face. Jane felt flustered.

"That was a interesting drink you chose, detective," Maura pointed out when she was done with her fruit. "And judging by the burning in my throat, I'd say it was at least 40 percent alcohol."

"Yeah, well, I paid for it, so I get to choose the drink." Jane shrugged defensively, more to herself than to anything else, trying to get out of her fluster. "And you're right, Tequila usually has 40 percent kick."

"You shouldn't drink more than one of those. This liquor is 14.29 times stronger than your usual MGD," Maura wisely advised.

"How you do that, I'll never know," Jane said, shaking her head, although she was used to Maura solving mathematical problems faster than she could with a calculator. 'Leave it to Maura to know what beer I drink and how strong it is,' Jane mused.

Jane watched the boys play for a while. Frost was getting his ass kicked by Korsak. He had six balls left to his older colleague's one and the eight ball. There was really no point of continuing the game, Jane decided, not after seeing how her partner played, so she asked:

"Would you like to play some pool, M?" Maura observed the game for a moment and then nodded.

"I would. It doesn't look very difficult," she agreed.

"Wait, you have never played pool before?" Jane was surprised. "Then we definitely have to play a match so I can kick your ass!"

"Would you like to make a wager on that, detective?" Maura challenged. Jane was beyond surprised. Maura had never played before, and here she was, wanting to bet against her. Well, she was in for a surprise. Jane liked to think that she was more than proficient at pool and other bar games, having spent a lot of time in different pubs.

"If you insist, Doctor. How about the loser pays for the rest of the evening?" Jane suggested, trying to get free drinks for herself for the night.

"I was thinking more along the lines of taking a shot every time the other gets a ball in. What do you think?" Maura countered, throwing a smile at the baffled Jane, who just stared at her friend for the tenth time that day. She was acting so bold and flirty. The effect of alcohol couldn't be blamed yet. Then, a thought passed through her confused brain. She couldn't possibly lose, which meant more tequila for the doctor. A devilish smile flashed on Jane's face. Tipsy Maura was definitely fun, and drunken Maura would let Jane help her home and probably ask her to spend the night. The plan was settled then. Jane gave her full attention to Maura again.

"I think that you are gonna be drunk before it's your turn to shoot, Doc," Jane replied cockily.

"We'll see about that, Detective."


End file.
